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This website puts the average salary of GW Law graduates from 2008 at $135k. Does anyone know how realistic this is? I'm having trouble because I really want to work in DC but I'm in-state in Georgia so UGA would be SO much cheaper. I also got into Maryland, which will probably figure to be much cheaper as well.

I'm in at GW, but I doubt they offer me much money at all. Luckily, I can live with my dad in the city, so I would save thousands a year on rent. If I was realistically going to be paid $100k + (I plan, like many of you probably do, on doing well in law school) upon graduation it would make the decision much easier. People say the DC economy is in the crapper, so are GW grads getting paid much less now than in 2008?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Autoaccept wrote:This website puts the average salary of GW Law graduates from 2008 at $135k. Does anyone know how realistic this is? I'm having trouble because I really want to work in DC but I'm in-state in Georgia so UGA would be SO much cheaper. I also got into Maryland, which will probably figure to be much cheaper as well.

I'm in at GW, but I doubt they offer me much money at all. Luckily, I can live with my dad in the city, so I would save thousands a year on rent. If I was realistically going to be paid $100k + (I plan, like many of you probably do, on doing well in law school) upon graduation it would make the decision much easier. People say the DC economy is in the crapper, so are GW grads getting paid much less now than in 2008?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

It's not realistic. Or rather, it may be, but you have no way of knowing. They get that number from surveys alumni fill out and send back in, and no one knows what percentage of alumni actually do it or whether or not they are telling the truth.

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Dood: if you don't mind me asking, was there any small or mid-size firms from secondary markets (e.g. atlanta, miami, boston) at OCI?

tea_drinker: i think there was one midsize boston firm (Nutter McClennen Fish) at OCI and none from atlanta or miami.

autoaccept: salaries are bimodal. if you do well (top 15%, law review etc.) or are hard IP (EE/CS), you'll get a market paying ($160k/$145k) job. If not, you'll be scrambling for sub-$50k jobs. it is absolutely not true that the median/average student at GW makes $135k if thats what you mean. so whether making $135k is "realistic" depends completely on how well you do.

How about " soft IP " (chem/bio I assume)?

hard ip = patent - requires science/engineering background

soft ip = copyright/trademarks

a lot of bio/chem people have advanced degrees (masters and phds) whereas most engineers only have a bachelor's. not sure how people with only a bachelor's in bio/chem fared...

135k is pretty low, especially compared to the other big east coast law schools like BC and Fordham. The market is pretty terrible, but it is getting better. However, 135k is pretty bad even in this market.

I thought most DC firms were paying market rates. No?

Informative wrote:135k is pretty low, especially compared to the other big east coast law schools like BC and Fordham. The market is pretty terrible, but it is getting better. However, 135k is pretty bad even in this market.

I thought most DC firms were paying market rates. No?

They referring to the average salary, not big law salary. HTH